Stripped Fridges

In a world run amok with GIFs and hashtags aimed squarely at your funny bone, it's easy to forget that people used to get their chuckles from the newspaper. Before it somehow became okay to post drivel from questionable sources all over our Facebook pages, we used to simply cut...

By Rob Kroehler

July 3, 2014

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "18478561",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "16759093",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759092",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "17980324",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "16759094",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 24
        }
      ]

In a world run amok with GIFs and hashtags aimed squarely at your funny bone, it's easy to forget that people used to get their chuckles from the newspaper. Before it somehow became okay to post drivel from questionable sources all over our Facebook pages, we used to simply cut out our favorite comic and post it on the fridge. The funnies informed our humor, our political views, even our morality. Sure, they're still around, but they're fast becoming a vestige of American pop culture; influence waning, impact forgotten.

Luckily, there are artists out there who appreciate the profundity and jocularity that comic strips have provided for Americans over the years, and have infused them into their own works. The “Funny Papers” exhibition at ASU Art Museum in Tempe, at 10th Street and Mill Avenue, is devoted entirely to such works, making for a pleasantly anachronistic yet poignant exhibition. Check it out for free on Saturday, July 5, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visit www.asuartmuseum.asu.edu or call 480-965-2873 for details.

Tuesdays-Saturdays, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Starts: May 27. Continues through Sept. 6, 2014

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Phoenix, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.